DANNY ROHL admits he’s eyeing a striker as the Rangers boss braces for a “crazy” end to the transfer window.
But ahead of his side’s final Europa League clash of the season, he would not be drawn on links to Hansa Rostock hitman Ryan Naderi.
Gers are understood to have tabled a £2.6million offer for the 22-year-old German.
But last night Rohl said: “What I can say is that he is a player for Hansa Rostock and I will not speak about players from other clubs today.
“I have a number in my head of what I feel we need, I think that’s the most important thing.
“Andrew knows it, the recruitment team knows it. I think this is clear.
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“The next three or four days will be a little bit crazy.
“There will be some moments where you think you will have a yes, then maybe not.
“But all in all, by the end of the window I think we should have a good number of players ready for the second half of the season.
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“At the moment we have our eyes open where we can strengthen the squad and what we need.
“Of course we’re looking for an attacking player – what it looks like, we will see.”
Rohl’s comments came just 24 hours after the Ibrox club rejected a £23million transfer windfall for Djeidi Gassama and Youssef Chermiti.
Monaco tabled a £10million loan offer to buy for winger Gassama, while Fenerbahce have had a £13m approach for striker Chermiti rebuffed.
Ibrox chiefs have made it clear both players AREN’T for sale this month as they prepare for their Premiership title charge – with both players understood to be happy with that hardline stance.
And last night Rohl said: “First, we take the positive that other clubs are interested in our players, but on the other side we will keep our best players.
“We have big goals this season and we’re in two competitions and we need our best players.
“We spoke about wanting to strengthen our squad and not make it weaker.
“We are very clear in what we want to do.”
Rohl also refused to discuss a possible Ibrox exit for midfielder Joe Rothwell.
The former Leeds United star has been linked with a return to England, with Sheffield United tipped to sign him.
But ahead of the Porto clash, Rohl said: “At the moment we have nothing to say, we have some players not with us.
“Dujon will train tomorrow, our new signings are not available, Danilo is not with us as he is expecting a baby, Joe Rothwell has small problems but nothing serious, everyone else is with us.
“Of course we know we have a big squad and one thing will influence another.
“This is a topic in general the new signings will not influence the final decision-making for our side.
“If we can do something we will do it.
“Let’s see, there’s still a few days to go and on Monday we will see where we are.”
RANGERS have no intention of cashing in on Youssef Chermiti in the final few days of the January transfer window, writes Andy Devlin.
But Danny Rohl reckons the Portuguese WILL make the Ibrox club millions one day.
Earlier this week, Gers turned down a quick-fire £5million profit when they rejected Fenerbache’s stunning £13m offer for the striker.
For a player who’s scored just four goals since arriving in Glasgow last summer, it certainly raised eyebrows among the Rangers support.
Yet Rohl believes the 21-year-old is only beginning to understand his potential – and that’s why Gers are so keen to keep him.
Rohl revealed: “He is available for Porto.
“In general, he’s worked from the very first day, he’s worked hard.
“I had a conversation with him before the last Hibs game away. I told him it was just the beginning.
“He wanted to get better, he wanted to score and he wanted to work hard.
“He wanted to be a big part of the group and after his two goals against Celtic he knows he cannot rest.
“Tomorrow is a good start for him.
“He has a lot of skills, what you need in modern football. He has a good body, good acceleration and he’s very strong.
“He’s improved his link play between the lines and he can now press.
“He’s a target player for us, he has shown this in Europe when we come under pressure.
“If he continues this and scores goals and makes assists then he will be in a good way.
“It’s all about effort, mindset and hard work and we will help him.”
The Chermiti bombshell came just 24 hours after it had emerged Rangers had also rejected a £10m offer for Djeidi Gassama.
Had the winger’s move to Monaco gone through, it would have netted that Ibrox side a tidy £8m profit.
It all flies in the face of the fabled player trading model previous Ibrox regimes were so desperate to embrace.
And while Rohl admits it is something Gers will look at in the future, the here and now means he MUST end the window with a far stronger squad than the one he inherited.
Asked about player trading, Rohl insisted: “It’s both.
“You have to strengthen your squad, you have to improve and develop players for the next level.
“This is clear.
“If a bigger club comes then you should make the deal.
“But if you have the ambitions we have, and I think we have shown this in the window, then it’s also important to strengthen the squad with the right players.
“You want to end the window stronger than you started and I will be happy when the window closes.
“We will have done our jobs and then we can focus on our games and focus on the group.
“My players are doing really well at the moment and we have done well to ignore all the rumours that are surrounding some of my players.
“We are focused on the next game and that is the most important thing.
“We know the next weeks are going to be crucial for us in terms of picking up points.”
Gers’ miserable Europa League campaign effectively ended last week when their elimination after seven matches was confirmed.
In the Estadio Dragao they will face a Porto side hunting the win that would help secure their passage straight through to the last 16.
But with his side protecting an eight-game unbeaten run, Rohl is keen to spoil the Portuguese party.
The Gers boss said: “We have different challenges, different competitions and that starts tomorrow against Porto.
“You come here to this fantastic stadium, but we’re not coming here just to be a guest.
“We don’t want to be a nice guest.
“We want to be a nasty guest, a nasty opponent and we want to try and get something here.
“In the last few weeks we’ve shown we can win a lot of games.
“We have faced a lot of strong opponents and done really well as a group and taken points in Europe.
“I think tomorrow we have a big challenge ahead. You feel it when you walk into this stadium. I was here eight years ago with Leipzig, so I know the stadium.
“But when I look to my players faces, I can see the excitement. Everybody wants to play.
“But I think it’s also important to have a little rotation because we still have Sunday’s game against hibs in our head.
“I think this is normal but we still want to perform tomorrow at our best level.
“We are facing an opponent who have also won nine games and had a draw from their last 10 games, with a lot of clean sheets.
“They are very well organised, very well coached. Francesco has done a fantastic job here so far.
“So yeah, everything is on and we want to be part of a good game tomorrow.
“We want a clean sheet, I said this after the Ludogorets game.
“With a clean sheet in Europe we always have a chance to win games.
“We know this team tomorrow have weapons.
“You will see tomorrow why they are top of the table and have taken a lot of points.
“And they have pressure tomorrow. They want to qualify directly to the last 16 so I think they will come with a lot of energy,.
“We have to be very organised and understand when we have to press high and when we have to stay deep compact.
“If we get the balance right and we find our moments, then we have a chance to get something.
“We have to come with 100 percent – if we don’t play to 100 percent then I think it will be tough tomorrow.”
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